In today's information age, data communication networks are becoming ever more pervasive as an ever-increasing number of communication consumers require access to on-line computer resources. To that end, many data communication networks are evolving to meet the needs of these communication consumers. As these data communication networks evolve, it often becomes necessary to combine or integrate network segments that support different communication protocols.
The most common problem that arises when integrating or combining network segments that utilize different protocols is that the devices on one network segment using a first communication protocol do not communicate with the devices on another network segment using a second communication protocol. One solution is to convert or replace devices so that all devices utilize a common communication protocol. Unfortunately, this is often expensive, time-consuming, and disruptive to the network users. Furthermore, such conversion or replacement often requires that end-user applications be changed, which can further complicate the integration process and force end-users to learn new applications. Thus, a need has remained for a translation function that allows the devices utilizing the first communication protocol to communicate with the devices using the second communication protocol.